Get to the bottom of your current situation, that way you'll
avoid making the same mistakes twice.
Q: You're burnt-out. You're looking for
"purpose." You want a better quality of life. You're bored.
You're disillusioned by your profession. What are you?
A: You're what we call a career changer. You
don't just want a new job, you want an entirely different job
in a whole new field.
The decision to change careers is a difficult one and the
transition can be tough. We don't suggest you undertake it
lightly. But a career change also can be rewarding if you
make honest decisions and take the right steps. We enlisted
some help from Stephen Warren, author of The Purpose
Principle, for advice on how to make a career change.
Avoid past blunders
Get to the bottom of your current situation, that way you'll
avoid making the same mistakes twice. What's making you feel
this way? Specifically determine what is wrong with your
current career situation. Are you bored? Do you dislike your
boss? Do you need a vacation? Is money the issue?
Change starts with you
Sit yourself down for a serious discussion. Assess your
skills, your passions, your goals, and-most importantly-what
you want out of a career. To make a switch for the better,
you must be honest in your self-evaluation.
Identify options
Based on what you don't like about your career to date, what
your interests are, and what you hope to get out of a career,
you will develop a picture of where you want to step next. Do
research and talk to as many industry professionals as
possible to learn where you can apply yourself.
Educate yourself
Part of your self-evaluation was inventorying the skills you
have already. No doubt you can use some of these in a new
capacity (whether they be technical skills, expertise in a
particular subject, or interpersonal skills). But you also
might need some skills you haven't learned yet. Figure out
what these are and work toward developing them. Can you take
a class? Do you have to go back to school for an advanced
degree? Will you learn them on the job? Consider volunteering
or doing part-time work if these are skills you can learn
while working.
Network
If you don't have experience relevant to the industry you
hope to enter, you're best bet for getting a job is
networking. Talk to everybody you know in the field, and then
talk to everybody they know. At this point in time, you will
be able to sell yourself better than your resume can.
Get experience
Nobody wants to take a cut in salary or responsibility. But
without previous experience, you might have to suck it up
until you learn more skills and gain experience. You've got
to grin and bear it, and be confident in knowing that you are
taking a step in the right direction.
Stay in touch
Remind yourself from time to time of what you learned through
the process of changing careers. Stay grounded in the goals
that you identified in your self-evaluation. As long as you
remain faithful to these principles, your career change will
be a successful one.
